From AAA Member to Member Service Counselor

AAA Member Service Counselor Maryanne W. of Connecticut credits an exceptional roadside assistance experience with inspiring her to apply for — and ultimately land — a job with AAA years later.

About 20 years ago, my late husband and I drove his new-to-him Mazda Protege on an inaugural trip to Massachusetts. We lived for road trip adventures. Well, this turned into an adventure we were not expecting.

We were driving through the University of Massachusetts campus in Amherst after a delicious barbecue dinner in Sunderland when the water pump decided it didn’t want to work. We needed to get home to Connecticut. It was Sunday night, and we both had to be at work on Monday morning, so we called AAA Roadside Assistance.

We had a basic membership and could not afford the additional towing mileage. After all, I’d just spent all our money at Yankee Candle! The rep from AAA recognized we were local members and helped us to upgrade to a higher membership with more covered miles. There was no waiting period back then to upgrade. We were towed home that night, both of us riding in the tow truck with the driver.

Everything about our experience with AAA that night amazingly positive. I remembered that when I saw a AAA member service job become available, and because I’m all about customer service, I was eager to work for a company that cares so much for its members.”

For more stories like this — or to share your own — visit “Hey, AAA!,” our collection of member-submitted emails, photos and videos that capture the real moments AAA has been a part of.

Ellen R. Delisio

Ellen is a content producer for AAA Northeast, covering automotive, finance, public affairs and electric vehicle news. She is a former newspaper reporter with experience writing for print and online publications about everything from higher education to sustainability. She recently returned to her native Long Island after living in Connecticut for 20-plus years, and has never met a beach she didn’t like.